Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Jordan answered, “Wyatt doesn’t like being disturbed. The staff only come in when he’s not home.”
Yunice nodded thoughtfully. “That’s actually kind of nice. Wake up early, step outside, lean on the railing, look down and see your lover. No one to bother you.”
Jordan froze, giving her a surprised look.
Yunice noticed and asked, “What?”
Jordan smiled. “Nothing. Just…it’s funny. You and Wyatt really are a good match. Pavilion Hall was built with exactly that vision in mind.”
‘s Sleeping in Wyatt’s Bed?
Yunice narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. So there really is a lady of the house, huh? Jordan hadn’t realized he’d just walked into a trap.
He said, “Take today for example-when you said you wanted to bury Paul in cash, didn’t Wyatt end up on the exact same page?” That was true; going through all those steps did take time. Wyatt couldn’t have seen it coming-he really had just ended up on the same page as Yunice. Still, it was just a coincidence. It didn’t prove anything.
Yunice moved into the room Jordan had arranged for her. After he left, the entire castle went quiet. The room had everything she might need for daily life. After making sure there weren’t any cameras installed, Yunice took a shower and carefully cleaned up every strand of fallen hair. She didn’t touch any of the skincare products or face masks in the cabinet. Since this place had a lady of the house, she figured she’d better have some self-awareness and try not to stir up any drama. Her marriage to Wyatt was just for show; no need to make the real woman of the house uncomfortable.
She pulled a medicated oil from her bag and rubbed at the bruises the flying cash had left on her body. After that, she dabbed ointment onto the scar on her face. Looking in the mirror, the scar had already faded quite a bit; a quick touch-up with powder would make it nearly invisible.
Once she was done, Yunice crawled into bed in her pajamas. As she tugged the blanket over herself, she found herself wondering why the whole room was done up in black, white, and gray. Even the blanket was made of silvery-gray silk. Probably bought as a set, she figured, not thinking much of it. Before falling asleep, Yunice gave Gill a quick call. Gill had already returned to Maplevale Estate. Just thinking about the revenge on Elsie earlier that day had her too giddy to sleep.
Yunice, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as cheerful. Elsie feared Wyatt-not her. Using that leverage worked, but Yunice knew she’d have to put in a lot more effort on her own. What frustrated her the most was that she hadn’t used today’s incident to get the Yun family’s house. She’d let them catch a breath. Elsie clung to Paul like a lifeline, giving the Yun family a solid pillar of support. Still, there was no rush. If Owen was already desperate enough to consider selling the house, that only meant Yun General Hospital was running red lights all the way down the line. She still had a shot.
Ms. Saunders, are you sleeping over at Mr. Cooper’s place tonight? Gill asked in a teasing tone. Yunice responded dryly, “You really hope I’m getting laid that badly?” Gill burst out laughing. “Come on, Mr. Cooper’s not bad-looking-you wouldn’t be losing out.” Yunice said, “He’s already got someone. I’m not even allowed to touch him.”
She dropped the Wyatt topic quickly. Switching gears, she said, “By the way, Ms. Saunders, Taylor’s meds are almost out. Time to start round two.” Yunice let out a sleepy hum, her voice drifting off like a breeze. Today had drained her; lying in a comfortable bed made it even harder to stay awake. Gill could hear the fatigue in her voice and hung up. Yunice fell asleep with her phone tucked under her pillow, sleeping like a baby.
Even in her dreams, she wasn’t idle. She dreamed someone was on top of her, slipping a hand under the covers and kissing… In her sleep, Yunice arched a brow. Am I about to get my period or something? Why the heck am I dreaming about this stuff? Let’s see who the male lead is…
In her dream, Yunice opened her eyes. She saw a figure leaning over her, the scent of perfume thick in the air. A sultry voice whispered in her ear, “Wyatt, aren’t you lonely?” Yunice shoved the person off her in an instant. “Ahhh!” came a voice as the girl tumbled right off the bed. Yunice sat up and flipped on the light. Instant daylight.
The girl sat on the carpet, shielding her eyes from the sudden brightness, whining, “Wyatt, it’s me!” Yunice grabbed a pillow and hugged it like a weapon. “Open your eyes and take a good look at who I am!” As soon as Yunice spoke, the girl on the floor went quiet. She moved her hand away from her face and locked eyes with Yunice for three solid seconds.
“Ahhh!” The scream nearly burst Yunice’s eardrums. Covering her ears, Yunice watched as the girl scrambled to her feet, frantically searched the bed, then darted into the bathroom. When she couldn’t find any trace of Wyatt, she ran out the door. “Wyatt! There’s an intruder in the house!” The girl’s panicked yelling echoed from the hallway. Yunice quickly put on her slippers and straightened out her clothes. Wyatt would probably show up any second now.
She sat calmly at the edge of the bed, waiting. She figured this girl was probably Wyatt’s lover. Once he showed up, she’d have to explain their relationship clearly.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the elevator doors slid open. Wyatt stepped out in his pajamas and turned on the hall lights. The girl immediately threw herself at him, as if planning to take him down by force.
Wyatt frowned and said coldly, “Stop.”
She barely managed to halt in time, pointing pitifully behind her. “Wyatt, there’s an intruder in your room!”
Just then, Yunice stepped out, wrapped in a robe. The girl pointed accusingly. “It’s her! She even dared to sleep in your bed-she’s completely shameless!”
Yunice had been sleeping on the first floor; his room was on the third. How could I possibly have ended up in his bed?
Wyatt glanced at Yunice, then back at the girl. “Don’t talk nonsense. That’s your sister-in-law.”
“Sister-in-law?” The girl’s delicate expression began to crack like porcelain, as if she couldn’t process the news.
Wyatt stepped around her and said, “You didn’t hear I was getting married?”
The girl spun around to keep up with him, practically in tears. “But I heard it was fake-that you were just doing it to make Mr. Jackson happy. How could you let her stay in Pavilion Hall?”
Yunice tightened her grip on her robe, feeling more than a little awkward.
Wyatt didn’t respond, but the girl wouldn’t drop it. “If you married her, then what about Morgan-“
Before she could finish, Wyatt cut her off with an icy snap. “Am I not allowed to get married?”
The girl flinched, clearly spooked, and didn’t dare say another word. Wyatt’s expression was downright terrifying. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but all she could manage was a meek, “I’m so… wrong.”
Yunice walked over. She felt the need to clarify. “We’re not really married. You don’t need to see me as a threat-I’m not here to get in the way of anyone’s relationship.”
The girl’s tears finally spilled over. She gave Yunice a sidelong glance, probably thinking she was just pretending to be nice.
Wyatt turned to Yunice, needling her. “Not threatening anyone? She’s the Powell family’s adopted daughter-Elanna Fiona.”
Adopted? Must’ve been recent. I’ve never heard of her before, Yunice thought. Some elite families adopted orphaned girls to strengthen alliances through marriage, but Elianna seemed a little too interested in the nearest eligible man.
Without missing a beat, Yunice extended a hand toward her. “Nice to meet you. I’m Yunice.”
“Why’s your name Yunice too…?” Elianna muttered under her breath, but still shook her hand.
That one comment told Yunice everything she needed to know-Elianna didn’t know much about the Powell family and had clearly been sidelined. She wasn’t an important player.
Wyatt looked at the suitcase Elianna had left in the living room and asked, “Why’d you come back at this hour?”
“Dad told me to. He said there’s a family banquet tomorrow and everyone needs to be there.”
She glanced at Yunice again, clearly confused why Jackson cared so much about this plain-looking woman.
Wyatt checked the time. It was already late. He turned to Elianna and said, “Pick any room you want-just don’t bother your sister-in-law.”
Then he wrapped an arm around Yunice and guided her toward her room.
Elianna’s eyes went wide. Wait, what? They’re going into my room?
Yunice tried to say something, but Wyatt gave her shoulder a firm squeeze, and she shut her mouth. She didn’t know the Powell family that well-didn’t know what was appropriate or not-so for now, she figured she’d just go along with Wyatt.
He shut the door behind them, and Yunice could still hear faint crying from outside. Elianna had totally lost it.
Yunice locked the door behind them, then asked Wyatt, “This is your room?”
Wyatt sat on the edge of the bed and dodged the question. “The Powell family has a curfew. Since she came back this late, she could only crash here.”
That didn’t sound right. Sure, there was a curfew, but it wasn’t like an adopted daughter wasn’t allowed to come home. And even if that were the case, there were hotels. Why’d she have to come here!
Still, if Wyatt was bothering to explain, it probably meant he didn’t want her overthinking it. He pulled back the covers and lay down. “Go to sleep.”
Yunice climbed in from the other side; they each stayed in their own space. If they were married, sharing a bed was bound to happen eventually. But thanks to Elianna’s drama, Yunice wasn’t sleepy anymore.
Out of nowhere, Wyatt reached over and pulled her into his arms. Startled, Yunice pressed against his chest, trying to push him away, but he easily locked her in place.
With his chin resting on the top of her head, Wyatt closed his eyes and murmured, “Don’t move.”
Yunice pressed a silver needle against his throat. “Don’t think just because I’m not rejecting you that you can keep pushing your luck.”
Wyatt lifted her chin and kissed her.
, My Rules
“You… Yunice couldn’t really do anything to him.”
Wyatt scoffed. “Still not over Paul, huh?”
Yunice rolled over and sat up. “Who said I’m not over him!”
Wyatt rested his head on his arm, his tone light and lazy. “You’re staying pure for him while he’s out there having a great time.”
Yunice didn’t respond, so Wyatt added, “I never said this marriage was fake.”